KEMPTON - Lehigh Valley Hunting and Fishing Extravaganza co-promoters Rick Weaknecht and Bob Danenhower take it as a compliment when told their outdoors show is going to the dogs.

Literally, the three-day show that opens Friday, Aug. 26, from noon to 8 p.m. at the Kempton Fairgrounds and continues Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 27 and 28, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days, is a favorite of those who own or just enjoy bird dogs. This year, many of those people will be in attendance Sunday when the third annual Lehigh Valley Extravaganza Top Dog Challenge will be held for pointers, flushers and retrievers."This is a BYOD - as in bring your own dog - event," Weaknecht said. "There is no charge to enter the event, which begins Sunday morning at 9 o'clock, and those competing receive free admission to the show."Registration has to be done either Friday or Saturday at the Pheasant Valley Farm Shooting Preserve booth Friday and Saturday or at the staging area Sunday. This is a timed competition to see how fast a dog can find live birds in the field."Trophies will be awarded upon completion of event, and winning dogs will also be photographed and included in our website and winners press release. In addition to the competition, Pheasant Valley Farm owner Mark Wolfskill and guide Karen Keen will be giving bird dog training seminars, Friday at 5 p.m.; Saturday at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.; and Sunday at 1 p.m."Their seminars will focus on basic field obedience and introducing dogs to birds and gunfire. A short infield demonstration will follow, and birds for the seminars and the challenge are being supplied by Red Fox Game birds of Mohrsville."As usual, the LVHFE will be full of activities for participants and spectators of all ages with plenty of vendor booths, demonstrations, displays, seminars and other attractions set up inside two large halls, under the roofed picnic pavilion and in the open on the spacious fairgrounds. As with previous shows, this is a family experience with adults from regional and statewide sportsmen's groups volunteering their time and talents as youth mentors of Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and other youngsters attending the show."There are plenty of outfitters and everything else associated with an outdoors show, with new products, sales of outdoors equipment, manufacturers representatives with their new products and a lot more - including a flea market of hunting and fishing gear," Weaknecht said. "As a special attraction, visitors will have the opportunity to meet the staff of the "Killbillies Outdoors" TV Show From the Versus Channel all weekend, and there will be a new skills competition for adults 16 and older sponsored by the Cabela's store in Hamburg that has events in rifle, shotgun, archery and fishing.We are also very happy to announce the Fifth annual"For those 16 and younger, we will continue to hold the Junior Lehigh Valley Outdoorsmen Competition that will have four events. There will also be the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts challenge that gives participants a chance to win prizes for themselves and their troop."Among the other attractions are a free fishing area for kids, deer antler measuring and jawbone aging by Quality Deer Management Association, a 50-target sporting clays range, pistol shooting, a casting challenge and BB gun and archery events just for kids. There will once again be a pre-1840 living history encampment by members of the Pennsylvania Federation of Black Powder Shooters where those attending the show can lean how to load and have the opportunity to fire a muzzleloader rifle.Among the archery events will be a 50-target course with 3-D targets - which will be auctioned off at the end of the show - for all types of archery tackle. There will also be archery novelty shoots and a new event that is similar to sporting clays.For a complete schedule of events and information on the Lehigh Valley Hunting and Fishing Extravaganza, visit the website at

www.lvhfe.com or call co-directors Bob Danenhower at 610-398-7609 or Rick Weaknecht 610-683-7405.